LENT: What is it?

"It’s necessary for this rotting body to be clothed with what can’t decay, and for the body that is dying to be clothed in what can’t die. And when the rotting body has been clothed in what can’t decay, and the dying body has been clothed in what can’t die, then this statement in scripture will happen:

 Death has been swallowed up by a victory

        Where is your victory, Death?

        Where is your sting, Death?"

~ 1 Corinthians 15:53-55

When my kids were very young, I tried teaching them about the season of Lent. After talking about it with them, this is what my seven-year-old wrote to someone about it: 

“You should give up something for Lent. Lent is 40 days. I'm giving up TV.  Lent is about the sacrifice of Jesus.  Like when Jesus died for us. For example, I gave up TV.  I want to watch TV. I can't.  So I go and read my Bible.”

~ Lent from the perspective of a seven-year-old

You can hear the disappointment in his voice. Clearly, I did not explain Lent well!Confusion around Lent exists for many of us today, even if we grew up in liturgical churches or families that practiced Lent. We may have heard of Lent before, or even practiced it, but we're unclear as to the purpose if it.  

A Brief History of Lent

Lent is the 40-days before Easter, beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending on Holy Saturday (the actual calendar span is 46 days, but Sundays are not counted in the traditional 40-day observation). This year, Lent began on March 5 (Ash Wednesday) and ends on April 20 (Easter Sunday).

Lent was originally established in the second century (possibly earlier) as a preparatory period for new baptism candidates who would receive baptism on Easter Day. This process, formally called the "catechumenate," helped new followers of Jesus learn about discipleship – i.e. how to think, live, and believe as Christians.

As Christianity spread throughout the Roman world and infant baptism became more common, Lent's focus shifted from preparation for baptism to a season for all Christians to engage in sober self-examination. Lent was the time to reflect on personal brokenness, repent where necessary, and realign one's life with God's character. 

Lent Today

Today, Lent can serve multiple spiritual purposes for followers of Jesus:

1. Self-examination and awareness of our brokenness: Lent reminds us of our human frailty and the reality of sin in our lives (reflected in the choices we make that lead us or others away from flourishing as God intends) 

2. Preparation for Easter: By journeying through the darkness of Christ's suffering, the joy of Easter's resurrection becomes more meaningful and powerful. 

3. Spiritual renewal: Lent offers an opportunity to surrender ourselves daily and deliberately to Christ, opening ourselves to the Spirit's work in our lives. 

4. Facing mortality: Beginning with Ash Wednesday (where many receive the reminder "From dust you came, and to dust you shall return"), Lent confronts our mortality directly.

One of the most well-known aspects of modern Lent is the practice of "giving something up." People may do this for various reasons, but this discipline can help in four areas:

1. Creating space for God: Our lives often become crowded with work, entertainment, and numerous distractions that can drown out God's voice. Removing something creates space to be more attentive to God's presence.

   
   

2. Remembering Christ's sacrifice: The discipline of abstaining from something enjoyable serves as a small reminder of Christ's suffering and helps us recognize what truly matters in our life.

   
   

3. Expressing sorrow over sin: Giving up something can be a tangible expression of repentance.

   
   

4. Breaking unhealthy patterns: Even good things can gain an unhealthy hold on our lives. Lent provides an opportunity to recognize these patterns and break them through temporary abstinence.

   
   

There is also the option to add something, rather than subtract something from our lives. For example, a person may decide to be more consistent with Bible reading, prayer, or kindness throughout the season of Lent. 

Lent and Death

Lent is unique among church seasons in that it directly confronts mortality. While other church seasons point primarily to Jesus, Lent first points to human frailty and tendency toward selfishness. Yet even as followers of Jesus face mortality during this season, they do so with the knowledge that Easter follows—death does not have the final word.

This perspective allows us to honestly acknowledge grief, anger, and sadness at death's presence while not being overcome by fear. Through Christ, we can face our mortality, brokenness, and tendency to sin with the confidence that none of these will ultimately define us. 

PAUSE and REFLECT: Beginning Lent in 2025

What does Lent mean to you? Have you meaningfully engaged with the season before?

The most important first step in meaningfully observing Lent is self-examination—becoming aware of our present spiritual state and relationship with God. Without this awareness, Lenten practices can become empty rituals without purpose.

Lent's forty-day timeframe is short enough to be achievable yet long enough to potentially shift the trajectory of our spiritual life. What we learn during Lent can continue to inform our spiritual practices year-round.

Rather than seeking harsh self-denial or performative piety, Lent invites Christians into a season of restoration—creating space for a renewed and deepened relationship with God.

This year, The Wild Way is offering a unique perspective on the season of Lent. Follow us on social media @gothewildway to spend forty days examining Lent from the perspective of our relationship with God and Creation.